Swans

Anatidae are part of the order of aquatic birds known as Anseriformes.

Swans are large birds, with heavy, muscular bodies.

The trumpeter swan is the largest swan in the world, and the largest of the Anatidae and the Anseriformes. Trumpeter swans range from around 4 1/2 to 6 feet long. They usually weigh between 17 and 30 pounds and can have wingspans of over 6 feet.

Swans have larger feet and necks, in proportion to their bodies, than geese.

Many people consider the long, curved neck of a swan a symbol of grace and beauty.

Most swans have blackish gray legs.

Swans usually live in temperate regions of the Earth.

Those that live in the northern hemisphere have pure white feathers, while those swans that live in the southern hemisphere have brown or black feathers mixed with white ones.

Male and female swans of the same species have similar coloring.

Swans live in wetland areas, for example, near rivers, lakes, ponds or marshes.

They obtain their food in the water and on land.

Swans eat plants that they find underwater and grasses that grow along the banks of ponds and rivers